conceive

Tweet

verb

Definition of CONCEIVE

1

to form a mental picture of <it takes an idealist to conceive a world without war, and an activist to make it happen>

Synonyms conceit [chiefly dialect], conceive, conjure (up), dream, envisage, envision, fancy, fantasize, fantasy, feature, ideate, image, picture, see, vision, visualize

Related Words daydream, stargaze; hallucinate; re-create, reflect, relive, reminisce; contemplate, meditate, muse, ponder, ruminate; concoct, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, plan, project; foresee, prefigure

2

to have a clear idea of <I cannot conceive the reason for such pointless vandalism>

Synonyms appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand

Related Words absorb, digest, take in; realize; fathom, penetrate, pierce

Near Antonyms misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

Antonyms miss

3

to have as an opinion <I just can't conceive that he would have lied>

Synonyms allow [chiefly Southern & Midland], conceive, consider, deem, esteem, feel, figure, guess, hold, imagine, judge, reckon [chiefly dialect], suppose, think

Related Words regard, view; accept, perceive; depend, rely, trust; assume, presume, presuppose, surmise; conclude, deduce, infer

Near Antonyms distrust, doubt, mistrust, question, suspect; disbelieve, discredit, reject